


All Out

by A_Table



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: 5+1 Things, And Edelgard not knowing what to do about it, Birthday, Byleth being extra, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:20:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25631182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Table/pseuds/A_Table
Summary: Five times Byleth goes all out to make Edelgard happy, and one time Edelgard does the same for her.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg & My Unit | Byleth, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 48
Kudos: 242





	1. Saghert and Cream

Edelgard likes saghert and cream.

Byleth learns this fact soon after joining the monastery, watching the Adrestian princess demolish several helpings of the dessert during their post-mock battle celebration.

It’s with this knowledge in mind that Byleth enters the monastery kitchens, fully prepared with a cookbook from Lysithea and the freshest fruits from the greenhouse. It is mid-afternoon now, and if all goes according to plan, she should be finished making the saghert and cream in time for the surprise party.

She is not prepared, however, for the head chef to turn down her request for the additional ingredients required to make the dessert.

“ _Thirty_ _servings?_ ” She asks incredulously. “I’m sorry Professor, but we simply can’t spare that much flour and milk.”

“But it’s for a class celebration. My house leader’s birthday is today.” Byleth replies, shifting on her feet impatiently. She’s going to be late if she doesn’t get started soon.

“Still, I highly doubt your class of _eight_ will need thirty servings of dessert, Professor.”

Byleth wants to disagree with her⸺ she’d spent a good chunk of time calculating the perfect amount of saghert and cream to make for the party. Six plates for Edelgard, with a little less sugar. Six more for Ferdinand, who would try to keep up with Edelgard but probably stop at plate five-and-a-half. One plate each for the rest of the Eagles, with a few to spare for those who wanted more. And finally, ten plates for herself.

Yes, thirty servings would be the perfect amount. But if there weren’t enough ingredients…

“Would you be willing to provide enough flour and milk for twenty servings instead?” Byleth asks.

The head chef takes a moment to consider, before relenting and making her way to the pantry to help fetch the ingredients.

* * *

The trays of saghert are cooling on the counter, waiting to be topped with cream, and Byleth is hungry. She has already eaten the leftover fruits, but it’s difficult to _not_ be hungry when the kitchen is filled with the delicious aroma of baked goods. She resists the urge to take some of the saghert for herself. There won’t be enough left for everyone if she does.

Perhaps she could have some of Ferdinand’s leftovers once he is done competing with Edelgard. Byleth brightens up at the thought, and begins to devise a plan to smuggle his unfinished plate back to her room after the party.

She’s still thinking about how to best hide a plate under her cloak when Caspar bursts into the kitchen, dragging an unconscious(??) Linhardt behind him.

“Hey Professor! We’re here to help!” Caspar exclaims, jostling Linhardt awake with a light shake. “Linhardt, wake up! We gotta help the professor carry the stuff to class, remember?”

Linhardt yawns, straightening up on his feet. “Mmm, yes, I remember.” He looks around for a bit, before his gaze settles on the trays of saghert. “I must say, Professor, you’ve outdone yourself yet again. It smells positively delightful in here.”

“Yeah Professor, I bet Edelgard’s gonna be really happy once she sees this!”

Byleth sure hopes so. She wonders if it would help make Edelgard smile⸺ it would certainly be nice if it did.

* * *

Edelgard gives a little huff of amusement as she steps through the doorway of the classroom, eyes bright as her classmates surround her and wish her a happy birthday.

“I should have known something was up when you began insisting that we stay in town.” Edelgard says to Dorothea, who follows after her into the classroom. Hubert lingers behind the both of them, arms laden with several shopping baskets.

“Hey now, Edie, you know we can’t have you all cooped up in your room on your birthday.” Dorothea replies, turning to Byleth, “Right, Professor?”

Byleth nods in agreement. “It’s an important day. You should enjoy yourself.” She stacks the plates of saghert and cream she had prepared for the princess, and presents the tower of dessert to her. “Happy Birthday, Edelgard.”

It’s a little hard to tell with the stack of plates obscuring her vision, but she thinks she sees Edelgard’s cheeks colour somewhat as she steps closer.

“Thank you, my teacher.” Edelgard says as she gingerly takes the desserts from her, careful not to topple them. “This is much more of a celebration than I was expecting, to be honest.”

She pauses for a moment, taking in the sight of the classroom. Petra and Bernedetta have decorated the room with bouquets of vibrant flowers from the greenhouse, and a large banner hangs between the columns, ‘ _HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDELGARD!_ ’ painted upon it in Ferdinand’s finest calligraphy. The desks and benches have been pushed together by Caspar and Linhardt to form a sort of makeshift dining table. Edelgard sets her plates on the table, and turns to address everyone.

“This is wonderful, really, thank you all.” She looks at the table, laden with flowers and plates of saghert and cream, and hides a giggle behind her hand. “I must say, I’m impressed you all managed to convince the chefs to make this much dessert today.”

“Not quite, Lady Edelgard.” Hubert replies, offering her a spoon as she moves to sit at the table with her classmates. “From what I understand, it was the Professor who was kind enough to gather the ingredients and cook for us today.”

Edelgard’s eyes widen as she stares at Byleth, who simply nods in response.

“But to make this much…” she trails off, dumbfounded.

“Bernadetta helped with growing the fruits.” Byleth explains.

Bernadetta startles at the mention of her name, before trying to hide herself behind one of the bouquets on the table. “Y-yes, but you were the one who did all the work, Professor! You got the seeds and fertiliser a-and baked it and everything! I just watered the plants once in a while!” The purple-haired noble sinks down under the table then, taking her plate of saghert and cream with her.

“I… see.” Edelgard replies quietly. She takes a plate from her own stack, Byleth eagerly watching as she digs the spoon into the treat and takes a bite.

It makes Edelgard smile.

It’s the pretty one that Byleth likes, the one that touches her eyes, and the sight makes something tug lightly in the Professor’s chest. With her objective completed, Byleth settles into one of the empty seats, watching contentedly as her students enjoy themselves for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I've read many fics but this is my first time writing one, so any comments or suggestions for improvement will be much appreciated. There's probably going to be a bonus scene for this chapter, so look out for that:)
> 
> Also, for those of you who are interested in background music for this fic, I recommend this playlist. It's a collection of songs that play in Byleth's head when she's off the battlefield: https://youtu.be/qZGwRz8wnSY?t=582
> 
> Finally, some extra notes for this chapter:  
> \- I've spent all my activity points on just having meals on several occasions, so I like to imagine that Byleth will eat as much as she can if given the chance.  
> \- Ferdinand's handwriting on the banner is similar to the Edwardian Script ITC font, if you want to type it out and see what it looks like. It's tough to format it here, but boy is it fancy.  
> \- Caspar did most of the moving for the tables and benches, Linhardt just helped neaten things up at the end before falling asleep.  
> \- Dorothea brought Edelgard (and Hubert) to almost every single shop in town to keep her busy while everyone made their preperations.


	2. Quill

Edelgard likes good writing quills.

Byleth learns this fact when she presents a lost quill to her emperor, mouldy and rotten from sitting in her drenched coat for five years. Edelgard had expressed her gratitude at having the quill returned, but Byleth could sense a subtle sadness in her eyes as she gently brushed the grime away with her fingers.

_Edelgard had liked that quill._

It’s with this knowledge in mind that Byleth carefully scales the rocky cliff, her path illuminated by the pale light of the moon above. Hopefully the soldiers haven’t noticed her disappearance from the campsite, though she has a feeling they are too tired from the day’s mission to care either way.

Steadily, she makes her way up towards a tree that grows sideways out of the cliff edge, eyes locked on the nest sitting between the bare branches of the tree. It’s an impressive nest, large enough to have caught her attention all the way from the encampment, and without a doubt belonging to an eagle of sorts.

Byleth heaves herself over the trunk once she reaches the tree, fingers gripping the rough bark tightly to steady herself. She takes a moment to catch her breath, stretching out the sore muscles of her arms, before inching her way nearer to the nest. She can see the eagle now, close as she is, and she does her best to remain as quiet as possible while she moves to avoid rousing it from its slumber.

Her clothes get caught in the branches a few times, but eventually she makes her way to the top of the tree, settling herself on a relatively sturdy branch by the side of the nest. The eagle remains sleeping as she reaches her hand into the nest, barely twitching even when Byleth begins combing through the thick mass of branches.

The inside of the nest is lined with several moulted feathers, but it still takes a bit of searching before she finally finds one that’s suitably sized. She extracts it from the nest gently, careful not to tear the delicate edges, before holding it up to take a closer look.

It’s a beautiful feather, the same shade as the night sky above, and it shimmers in the moonlight as she twirls it around in her fingers. The silver glow reflected off the feather reminds her of her Emperor’s hair, and the way the eagle’s eyes bore into her own bring to mind Edelgard’s evaluating gaze when they had first met in Remire.

_Wait._

_The eagle-_

* * *

Being knocked out of a tree by an angry eagle and falling off a cliff wasn’t part of her plan, but thankfully she still has a few uses of the divine pulse left - it’s just enough to allow her to return to camp unharmed, if albeit exhausted.

Byleth tucks the feather between the worn pages of Jeralt’s journal to keep it safe, storing the book carefully in her satchel before collapsing onto the bedroll. Sleep overtakes her almost immediately, and her dreams are accompanied by a faint, but familiar high-pitched voice reprimanding her.

It’s a nice dream.

* * *

Byleth stands in front of Edelgard’s door, fidgeting with the silk wrappings around the quill. For the first time in a while, she feels nervous, although she’s not quite sure why.

The feather has already been prepared expertly by Ignatz and enchanted by Lysithea to last a lifetime, but she wonders if there was more that could have been done to make it a better gift for Edelgard.

She’s so lost in thought that she doesn’t notice Hubert’s presence until he appears next to her, knocking sharply on the door.

“I apologise for disturbing you so late at night, Lady Edelgard, but the Professor would like to speak with you.” He says, lips curling into a sly grin as he watches Byleth flinch.

“That’s quite alright Hubert.” Edelgard replies, voice slightly muffled by the door. “Please do come in, Professor.”

Hubert takes his leave before Byleth has the chance to throttle him, his deep laughter echoing faintly down the corridor. _Sky watch duty for Hubert this week_ , Byleth thinks as she steps into her Emperor’s room.

Edelgard smiles up at Byleth from her desk as she enters, setting down the paperwork she had been reading. “To what do I owe the pleasure, my teacher?”

Byleth simply stares for a moment, unsure of how to begin.

_I’m sorry for ruining that quill you liked._

Wait, that wouldn’t do. Edelgard dislikes dwelling on the past.

_I hope this quill is better than your old one._

But what if it isn’t?

“My teacher?” Edelgards’s concerned voice cuts through her thoughts, scattering them like the wind. She’s rising from her chair now, moving to place a gentle hand on Byleth’s arm.

“Uh, quill.” Byleth replies eloquently. She holds the quill out to her Emperor, watching nervously as she takes it and gently undoes the wrappings. However, all her worries are forgotten upon hearing the small gasp of surprise Edelgard lets out when she sees the feather.

“Thank you for this, my teacher.” Edelgard says, stroking the feather lightly with her fingertip, before pausing abruptly halfway along the edge. “Byleth, this is a _Thrudnir eagle_ quill.” She says, staring intently at the feather.

“Is that bad?”

“Not at all, these are actually considered some of the best quills for writing.” Edelgard replies, testing the grip of the pen. “It’s just that they are _incredibly_ rare. I’ve only ever used my uncle’s one a few times before, and even _that_ was an antique from ages ago.”

“Oh.”

Edelgard huffs a quiet laugh before turning her attention back to Byleth. “You’ll have to tell Hubert which merchant you bought this from, he’s been searching for a Thrudnir quill for me for _years_ now.”

“I didn’t buy it though.” Byleth replies, rubbing at her arm awkwardly, “I just found the eagle and the feather was in its nest.”

Edelgard’s eyes grow wide then, her gaze shifting rapidly between Byleth and the quill. “But that’s impossible,” she whispers under her breath, “Thrudnir eagles went extinct almost a century ago…”

“Well, I’m not exactly sure what sort of eagle it was, but the one I found was on a cliff up in the Oghma mountains. I can always climb up there again and get you more if you’d like.”

“Wha- you climbed…” Edelgard starts, before her gaze turns steely. “That’s _dangerous_ , Byleth!”

“It’s okay, I only died twice.”

Her Emperor heaves a sigh, hand coming up to pinch at the bridge of her nose. “Another one of your jests, my teacher?”

Before Byleth can respond, Edelgard steps forward, pulling her into a warm embrace. “I love the gift, and I am grateful for the effort you took to find this, my teacher. I would like you to know that.”

“ _However_ ,” she continues, moving back slightly to pin Byleth with a stern look, “you are _not_ to risk yourself for something like this again. Do I make myself clear?”

Byleth nods before returning the embrace, laughing at Edelgard’s embarrassed squeak when she wraps her arms tightly around her. She stays together with Edelgard for the rest of the night, happily watching over her as she sets out to work with her new quill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! This chapter was the one I was most excited to write about, namely because it's based on the video that inspired this fic. Feel free to check it out here if you're interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDbtJOjFv7s
> 
> Some extra notes:  
> \- The first scene takes place soon after Byleth reunites with everyone, when she empties out her coat pockets to have it cleaned.  
> \- Byleth misses Sothis a lot, so she’s just happy to get a dream of her.  
> \- Sothis misses Byleth too, though sometimes she has half a mind to strangle her for the stuff she does.  
> \- Most of the students have been recruited into the Black Eagles in this story, so they may make cameos every now and then.  
> \- Dorothea is the captain of the Edeleth ship, and Hubert is first mate.  
> \- After that first night, Edelgard starts using her new quill exclusively for writing letters to her friends (and for doodles of Byleth)  
> \- According to the DLC, Byleth likes smiles, and I just think that’s really cute.


	3. Dance

Edelgard likes to dance.

Byleth learns this fact soon after she proposes, laughing as her fiancé pulls her into an impromptu dance atop the goddess tower. With every step and spin they make across the stone tiles, Edelgard’s smile grows brighter, and Byleth thinks she could easily spend the rest of her life dancing with her beloved.

It’s with this knowledge in mind that Byleth sits at her desk, quill in hand and a sheet of parchment before her. She’s exhausted and her vision is beginning to blur, but she pushes through the fatigue, bringing up her quill to finish the drawing on the parchment.

Her artistic skills pale in comparison to Edelgard’s, but Byleth still feels a little proud nonetheless when she completes her sketch of the two of them dancing together. She throws in a few stars around their figures for good measure, before adding a few words along the top of the page.

_Meet me at the reception hall?_

Satisfied with her handiwork, she takes the parchment and places it upon one of the several towers of finished paperwork surrounding her, careful not to let her ink–stained hands dirty the sheet.

With her desk finally empty, Byleth allows herself to slump over in her chair, the exhaustion hitting her with all the force of a _Ragnarok_.

She’s still asleep hours later when Hubert comes over to collect the paperwork, snoring lightly as he drapes a soft blanket over her shoulders.

“Honestly… finishing a week’s worth of Her Majesty’s work in advance, just so she has the time to _dance_ with you.” He shakes his head with a sigh and picks up the picture Byleth had drawn, “That’s a little excessive even for you, Professor.”

He takes another glance at her sleeping form, before giving her a quick bow. “Rest assured that I will deliver this to Her Majesty tomorrow evening as requested.” Hubert says, smiling, “I am certain she will be delighted when she sees what you have prepared for her.”

* * *

“Greetings Professor, nothing to report!”

The Gatekeeper waves at Byleth as she enters the reception hall, and her eyes widen as she takes in the sight of him in a well–pressed suit, his dark hair neatly brushed back. Manuela sits at the piano behind him, trying not to laugh at Byleth’s surprised expression.

“Come now, Professor, you weren’t expecting him to play his violin in full armour, were you?” Manuela asks, giving an exasperated huff when Byleth nods her head.

“ _Professor_. This is a ballroom, not a battlefield.” She chides gently, “Besides, _you_ seem to be dressed up quite nicely yourself.”

“Hmm..." Byleth hums, toying with the visor of her peaked cap. Mercedes had kindly helped to alter one of the old ceremonial uniforms from the Officer’s Academy to fit her for the occasion, and though she wasn’t quite used to formalwear, she had to admit that it was rather refreshing to wear something different once in a while. "You really think it looks nice?" She asks.

“Oh, I _know_ it does, Professor. Our dear Emperor won’t be able to take her eyes off of you. Don’t you agree, Gatekeeper?”

“Of course!” Gatekeeper replies as he turns to address Byleth. “By the way, thank you for inviting us to play for you and Her Majesty! It’s a real honour.”

Byleth shakes her head. “I should be the one thanking the both of you for agreeing to do this on such short notice.”

“Think nothing of it, Professor, we’re just happy to help.” Manuela says with an airy wave of her hand.

“Now then,” she continues as she rests her fingers over the ivory, “let’s get a little more practice in before our guest of honour arrives, shall we? I’d love to see how you’ve improved, what with all those dance lessons you’ve been taking from Dorothea.”

* * *

“Byleth!”

Byleth is still practicing her steps in the middle of the room when Edelgard bursts into the hall, causing her to nearly trip in surprise as the heavy wooden doors slam against the wall. She recovers quickly, however, and turns to see her beloved staring at her from the doorway with an impressive blush creeping up her ears.

“You– your clothes, ah…” Edelgard stammers as Byleth approaches and pulls her into a hug. It’s endearing, the way her beloved seems to be lost for words, and Byleth can’t help but tease her a little over it.

“You’re cute, El.” She says, before pressing a gentle kiss to Edelgard’s forehead. Edelgard gives Byleth a half–hearted swat on the arm in response, causing her to chuckle.

“Did you finish all my paperwork just so you could call me here to tease me, my teacher?” Edelgard huffs in mock irritation. Her gaze softens a little as she continues, “You know, there really was no need to do so much if you wanted to spend more time with me. All you have to do is ask, and I’ll make the time for you.”

“But I wanted to help. You’ve been so busy lately, and I think you deserve a proper break from work, even if it’s just for a while.”

“I– I see…” Edelgard replies.

Slowly, Byleth pulls away from Edelgard and gives a wave to Manuela and the Gatekeeper. They begin to play, and a gentle melody begins to fill the hall as Byleth sweeps into a low bow, offering her hand.

“El, may I have this dance?”

Edelgard slips her hand into hers without hesitation, lacing their fingers together, and Byleth feels her heart stop for a moment when she looks up and sees the fond, tender smile her beloved gives her. She’s so entranced that she barely notices when Edelgard starts moving, giving a small yelp as she is pulled forward into her arms.

The music gets livelier as they begin to dance, and Edelgard is _giggling_ as she leads Byleth into a series of steps and twirls that leaves them both breathless. It’s the happiest Byleth has seen her in a long while, and a small part of her regrets not doing this for Edelgard sooner.

The thought is quickly forgotten, however, when Edelgard moves in close and gives her a quick peck on the lips.

“Thank you for this, my light.” She whispers against Byleth’s lips, “You’re wonderful.”

“So I am.” Byleth deadpans, causing Edelgard to laugh as she draws her into a deeper kiss.

* * *

Eventually, their dance slows to a leisurely waltz, and Edelgard rests her head against Byleth’s shoulder as they sway on the spot.

“Let’s do this more often, my light.” She says, nuzzling into Byleth’s shoulder contentedly.

“Of course, El. Can we leave the piano here though? I don’t want to have to keep carrying it back and forth from the cathedral.”

Edelgard stills in her arms then, before she slowly pulls back to stare at Byleth.

“…You carried the piano over. From the cathedral.”

Byleth nods. “It was pretty heavy. I had to get help from Caspar and Raphael.”

Edelgard’s eyes narrow, and Byleth begins to worry that she’s in trouble.

“Ah, I know pianos are expensive, El,” Byleth explains, “But we were _really_ careful with it, I promise. I don’t think we even got a single scratch on it.”

Edelgard gives her an odd look then, somewhere between amused and exasperated, before she sighs. “It’s not the piano that I am worried about, Byleth," she says, bringing up a hand to tenderly caress Byleth’s cheek. "It’s you.”

“Oh.”

“I’d rather you not hurt yourself moving something so heavy, my love. Especially now when you no longer have your crest to heal you.” Edelgard says. She gently brushes aside a stray lock of hair from Byleth’s face, tucks it behind her ear. “Nevertheless, I appreciate that effort it took for you to set everything up for tonight. Thank you for this, truly.”

“Anytime, El.” Byleth replies. An idea comes to her then, and she grins at Edelgard as she continues, “Well… I won’t carry the piano around anymore if you insist, but perhaps you would prefer if I carried something else?”

“You know that’s not what I – _Byleth!_ ” Edelgard squeals as Byleth scoops her up and spins them around. “ _Put me down this instant!_ ”

Despite Edelgard’s fervent protests, Byleth _does not_ let go, dancing the night away with her fiancé in her arms. Her muscles ache for days thereafter, but she doesn’t mind in the slightest – she would do it all again in a heartbeat, if only to make Edelgard smile so brightly once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been rewritten around five times or so, since I can't decide whether the topic should be 'Tea' or 'Dance'. 'Dance' won out in the end though, in no small part due to this lovely drawing by ticcytx : https://twitter.com/ticcytx/status/1188540345132441601
> 
> Some extra chapter notes:  
> \- In one of the scrapped chapters, Byleth trained a strike force of cats to get rid of the rats in the reception hall so they could dance in peace.  
> \- An example of Byleth's drawing skills: https://twitter.com/game_pklk/status/1174261008019480576?s=19  
> \- Gatekeeper plays the violin in his spare time, and sometimes he brings it along to play for Byleth when they have tea. He's really good at it.  
> \- Edelgard has Byleth's drawing framed up on her desk now (together with a few sketches of Byleth in her uniform).
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!


	4. Black Eagles

Edelgard likes the Black Eagles.

Byleth learns this fact over the years, watching Edelgard as she grows to cherish and care for the Black Eagles as if they were her own family. Now, however, with the church system abolished and Those Who Slither in the Dark defeated, most of Byleth’s former students have gone their separate ways, living their lives to the fullest in the new Fodlan that they’ve helped to build.

Edelgard misses them dearly, though. Byleth can tell from the way her wife sometimes spends hours re-reading old letters from their friends, a wistful look in her eyes as she reads over each letter in their collection.

It’s with this knowledge in mind that Byleth hides away in her personal fishing hut, surrounded by a multitude of pelts that she had secretly procured from Petra during a previous visit to Brigid.

Bright blue lines cover the surface of the furs, each one carefully drawn on with a worn piece of tailor’s chalk. The metal templates she had used to mark the lines lay scattered across the floor, reflecting the sunlight that filters through the dusty windows.

She still doesn’t fully understand how the squiggly shapes on the pelts would end up becoming stuffies – they looked nothing like bears – but she trusts in Bernadetta’s instructions, and Byleth thinks that just _maybe_ , she would be able to make up for her lack of skill with enough practice.

Good thing she would be getting _a lot_ of practice.

* * *

Twenty-one little bears sit on the table in Byleth’s fishing hut, the lacquer on their wooden eyes drying as Byleth paces about the room.

She’d made the stuffies to resemble her students as much as possible, down to their hairstyles, eye colour, and even their expressions. However, as Byleth had been finishing up her last stuffy, she realised something important.

The stuffies were _naked_. They were _naked_ , and they needed _clothes_.

Byleth sighs as she picks at the bandages around her fingers. Making the clothes themselves wouldn’t be an issue; she has some sewing practice under her belt now, and Bernadetta probably has some clothing templates of the right size that she could borrow.

The problem was that she’d have to make the little accessories too – buttons, chains, weapons, jewellery. She hopes the palace jewellers would be willing to teach her a thing or two about how to make them. It would be difficult, no doubt, considering the number of accessories she would have to create, but Byleth finds herself looking forward to the task.

This was a gift for her beloved, after all.

* * *

It takes Byleth a few months to finish everything, but by the end of it she has twenty-one fully clothed bears sitting on the shelf in her hut, quietly watching her as she tries to tidy up the mess on the table.

She _might_ have made too many clothes.

Specifically, she might have made too many clothes for Edel-bear. Byleth had originally wanted to make just one extra set of clothing for the stuffy using some spare cloth – but one became two, and two became three, and she had kept on going until she ran out of fabric to use.

Thirty full sets of clothing are now piled before her, each one a miniature reproduction of a piece in Edelgard’s wardrobe. Byleth is sure her wife would appreciate the variety, but at the same time it was too much to comfortably store in their drawers.

It wouldn’t do to leave the clothes lying around, though. Perhaps she could find Edelgard a small box to keep them in. Something simple, just the way she likes it.

With a few personal touches added to make it extra special, of course.

* * *

The underside of the bed, as Byleth had thought, was a great hiding spot for her gifts. The hollow space was roomy enough to fit everything, and the gap between the footboard and the floor was narrow enough to obscure most of the items from view.

But perhaps it was a little _too_ narrow.

“…Byleth?”

“Yes, El?”

“Would you care to explain what you’re doing?”

Byleth can’t see quite see Edelgard’s face from where she’s stuck under the bed, but she can hear a hint of amusement in her beloved’s voice, and she feels her face heat up from embarrassment at getting caught.

“Well… I, uh,” Byleth flails a little, trying again to free herself from the tight gap to no avail. “I was trying…to surprise you? But I got stuck.”

Edelgard giggles. “I can see that, my light.” Byleth hears her shift closer, hears the creak of wood as Edelgard secures her grip under the bedframe “Here, let me help.”

The edge of the bed lifts easily, and Byleth quickly shimmies out, pulling the burlap sack of stuffies with her. She dusts herself off as Edelgard sets the bed down, and follows after her wife as she climbs onto the bed.

Once they’re both settled, Edelgard gives Byleth a quick peck on her cheek before she turns her attention to the bag. “Is this what you wanted to surprise me with, my light?”

Byleth nods sheepishly and unties the sack. “I was planning put these around you while you were sleeping tonight, so that you could wake up and see them in the morning. But I guess you caught me.” She says as she reaches into the bag and takes the stuffies out.

“ _Oh_.” Edelgard breathes, seemingly lost for words as she watches Byleth assemble a miniature Black Eagle strike force on their bed. Her eyes shine as she picks the stuffies up one by one, holding them close to inspect them. She runs her fingers over the intricately embroidered Brigid tattoos that decorate the stuffies of Dorothea and Petra, toys with the assortment of tiny weapons attached to Felix-bear’s belt, and admires the little felted birds nested atop the stuffy of Marianne, her smile growing wider with each detail she sees. She spends a particularly long time looking over the stuffies of Byleth and herself, her gaze lingering on the miniature replicas of their wedding rings tied around their necks.

Edelgard turns to Byleth after she puts the stuffies down, pulling her close for a gentle kiss. “Thank you, my light, this is wonderful.” she says quietly as they part.

Byleth chuckles. “Don’t thank me yet, there’s still something else I’d like to give you.” She moves to reach under the bed for the box of clothes for Edel-bear, manoeuvring herself carefully to avoid getting stuck again.

Edelgard watches curiously as Byleth emerges from under the bed with the polished wooden case, blinking when Byleth places the box in her hands. She hesitates for a moment, thumbing along the edge of the case, before lifting the lid ever so slowly.

The mechanism inside the box whirrs to life, and Edelgard is left speechless yet again as a soft melody begins to play. It’s a simple song, one that was played during their wedding, and Edelgard smiles as she recognizes the tune. Her smile grows as she takes in the sight of the group portrait of the strike force stuck on the inside of the lid.

“So _that’s_ where my drawing went.” Edelgard says amusedly as she looks through the dresses in the box. She picks out a replica of her old academy uniform and proceeds to put it on Edel-bear, and laughs when Byleth fishes out a set of lavender ribbons from the box to help complete the look.

“These are all beautifully made, my love.” Edelgard comments while she ties the ribbons around the brown wool. “It really does bring me back to our academy days.” she continues, setting Edel-bear down beside the rest of the stuffies.

“I’m glad you like them.”

Edelgard smiles warmly, then, and pulls Byleth into a hug. “I absolutely love them, Byleth. Thank you for making everything, I’ll cherish them well.”

“Wait, how did you know I made them?” Byleth asks, surprised.

“When it comes to doing such ridiculously wonderful things for me, my love,” Edelgard says as she nuzzles into her shoulder, giggling, “who else could it be?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~ When Byleth's too much gene kicks in
> 
> Some notes for this chapter:  
> \- Edelgard's favourite stuffy is Byleth-bear.  
> \- Byleth had the hardest time with Felix's stuffy, because of all the weapons.  
> \- The song that plays for the music box is, of course, Edge of Dawn.  
> \- Byleth got the music box parts from Ferdinand's collection of music boxes.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! I recently got a new job and it's been quite busy, so the update speed may be slower, but rest assured that I'll do my best to finish this story!


	5. Carnations

Edelgard likes carnations.

Byleth learns this fact in the Blue Sea Moon of 1880, after finding a peculiar lost journal in the classroom. Mounted upon each page of the book are careful arrangements of pressed flowers and petals, with little notes written beside the blooms.

_[_ _Imperial Year 1180, 6th of the Blue Sea Moon_ _._ _Professor Byleth.]_

_[_ _Imperial Year 1_ _18_ _0, 2_ _9_ _th_ _of the Garland Moon._ _Professor Byleth.]_

_[_ _Imperial Year 1_ _18_ _0, 22_ _nd_ _of the Garland Moon._ _Birthday flowers from the Black Eagles and Professor Byleth.]_

_…_

_…_

_…_

_[_ _Imperial Year 1_ _1_ _69, 22nd of_ _the Garland Moon._ _Thena and Hermm got me my favourite carnations! Father says they worked hard to grow them for me because they love me. I love them too, they’re the best sisters ever!_ _]_

_…_

The journal is returned to Edelgard that very same day, together with the finest carnations Byleth can find in the greenhouse.

_It makes Edelgard smile._

It’s with this knowledge in mind that Byleth urges her wyvern towards a small, secluded hill nestled deep within Fodlan’s fangs, saddlebags stuffed with as many bags of pegasus blessings as her mount can carry.

As Byleth swoops down low over the hill, she’s heartened to see that the seeds she’d planted a few weeks prior had sprouted well, a vibrant patch of green standing out against the grey of the surrounding mountains. The shoots sway lazily in the afternoon breeze, and they rustle as she lands by the edge of the cliff.

There’s a rumble from her wyvern as she gets off to unload the saddlebags, and it gets her to pause her work to give it a quick rub on the snout. “I know, I know. I’ll try to have things finished before dinner this time.” She says, laughing when the wyvern huffs and turns away from her. It settles itself comfortably on the ground while she prepares the rest of her supplies, and purrs when she gives it one last scratch behind the antlers before she makes her way over to the field.

Treading carefully, Byleth begins the slow task of spreading the blessings over the field. It’s relaxing work, and she allows herself get lost in her thoughts as she scatters handful after handful of glittering dust onto the plants around her.

* * *

The sun is just beginning to set when Byleth mounts her wyvern, finally ready to head home. She turns to take one last look at her garden before she leaves, watching the plants shimmer gently as the pegasus blessings begin to work their magic.

If all goes well, her surprise should be ready just in time for Edelgard’s birthday.

She can’t wait for her to see it.

* * *

“Are you alright, my light? Your hands are getting cold.”

Byleth nods, smiling when Edelgard begins to rub soothing circles over her knuckles.

“Just the morning chill, it’ll get better once we land.” She replies, tightening her hold around Edelgard’s back. “Hope you’re not getting too cold, my heart. We’ll be there soon, I promise.”

“Does that mean I get to take the blindfold off?” Edelgard asks, tugging at the edge of the fabric covering her eyes.

Byleth hums, directing her wyvern to slowly descend as the hill comes into view. “I suppose you can take it off now. But keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them, okay?”

With a small giggle, Edelgard removes her blindfold, keeping her eyes closed as instructed. She takes in a deep breath and smiles, leaning back into Byleth’s chest. “Are those flowers I smell, my love?”

“They are.” Byleth replies, flying them closer towards the hill. “You can open your eyes now, El.”

Edelgard does, slowly, and Byleth feels her turn still as she takes in the sight before them.

A vast field of flowers stretches across the field below, suffusing the air with a soft fragrance as they sway gently in the wind. A large heart, grown from carnations of the deepest red, sits in the centre of the flowerbed. Framing it are blossoms of every colour imaginable, a spectacular array of carnations Byleth had bred over the years. Bathed in the golden light of dawn, the flowers almost seem to glow, and they sparkle dazzlingly as the morning dew upon their petals catch the light of the sun.

“ _Oh, Byleth…”_ Edelgard whispers as she stares, awestruck, “ _This is…_ ”

“Your birthday present.” Byleth replies cheerfully, drawing her close as she lands them at the edge of the flowerbed. Carefully, she helps Edelgard off the wyvern, and it isn’t long before she’s pulling her beloved towards the centre of the field, hands intertwined and a smile upon both their faces. There’s laughter too, from Edelgard, as Byleth scoops her into her arms and swings them around, before falling unceremoniously onto the flowers below with a quiet _poof_.

It takes them a while to recover from their giggling, but eventually they do, and Byleth finds herself sitting comfortably with her wife in her lap as they watch the sunrise together. As Edelgard settles more deeply into her embrace, Byleth busies herself by weaving a crown from the flowers around them. It’s not one of gold or silver, but Byleth knows Edelgard will treasure it nonetheless.

Removing the simple peacetime crown resting atop Edelgard’s head is an easy task, and the heavy ring of metal is quickly replaced by one of carnations and delicate wildflowers. It suits her, Byleth thinks, the red of the blossoms matching well with the chestnut brown of Edelgard’s hair. They’re warm colours - warm just like Edelgard, and warm just like her smile.

She’s giving Byleth one of those smiles now, her lips curving upward as she gently rests her hand against Byleth’s cheek. “Thank you for this, my love, my guiding light.” Edelgard murmurs as Byleth beams back at her. “This is as wonderful a present as I could ever possibly ask for.”

“Still,” she continues, “to plant such a beautiful field…you really needn’t do this much just for me, my light.”

“I don’t mind, really,” Byleth replies, “I worked hard to grow them for you because I love you.”

Edelgard freezes then, and a deep crimson starts to creep up her cheeks as the words begin to sink in. Byleth barely has a moment to tease her beloved before she’s pulled in for a passionate kiss, Edelgard’s fingers tangling in her hair and knocking her own crown askew.

Edelgard huffs a laugh once they break apart, moving to hide her burning face against Byleth’s shoulder. “ _You_ _ridiculous, wonderful, marvelous, beautiful woman.”_ she utters, moving to twine her fingers with Byleth’s, “ _I love you. I love you so, so much._ ”

“I love you too, my dear heart.” Byleth replies tenderly, bringing their joined hands up to press a kiss to the ring on Edelgard’s finger, and smiling when Edelgard does the same for her.

“ _Happy Birthday, El._ ”

…

…

…

_[_ _Imperial Year 1_ _192_ _,_ _22_ _ nd _ _of the_ _Garland_ _Moon._ _My beloved Byleth gifted me the most lovely field of carnations! She told me she worked hard to grow them for me, because she loves me. I love her too, she’s the most wonderful wife I could ever ask for!]_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's that for Byleth's chapters! Next up is Edelgard>:)
> 
> Also, there may be some formatting errors on this chapter since I'm using a new word editor, so please feel free to let me know if you catch anything wonky!
> 
> Some extra notes for this chapter:  
> \- This field is pretty much the Lover's Pond from Breath of the Wild but with flowers.  
> \- It's one of Edelgard's favourite places to go, now. They go there for picnics whenever there's time.  
> \- Byleth had been planning this for years, it just took her a while to collect enough seeds.  
> \- What are pegasus blessings, really?  
> \- The wyvern's name is Minerva. She's a good girl.  
> \- Edelgard's journal is one of those hand-bound books you can add pages to. Think of it as a folder of sorts, except with a leather cover and thread bindings.  
> \- Byleth learned to make flower crowns from Seteth, back in Garreg Mach
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!


End file.
